REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 17, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. today released MSN® Mobile 3.0, the newest version of the MSN wireless service. MSN Mobile, launched in June 1999, was the first major portal to provide wireless information delivery. Since then, MSN Mobile has registered more than 1.5 million unique users and has relationships with carriers to be a featured part of the service on more Web-enabled phones in the United States and Canada than any other major portal. MSN Mobile content and services are featured on Web-enabled phones in the United States through its relationships with Nextel Communications, Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless and will soon be available on over half a million Web-enabled phones in Canada through agreements with Bell Mobility, Clearnet Communications Inc. and Rogers AT & T Wireless.
“The relationships MSN has built with top carriers in the United States and Canada have been key to our ability to establish an early lead in the delivery of the wireless Web,”
said Yusuf Mehdi, vice president of MSN at Microsoft.
“However, being the leader in terms of reach is not our only focus. We’re also rolling out new content and services to enrich the MSN Mobile experience for consumers and give them more ways to access their information when they want it, from the device they prefer.”
Terrance Blount of Lawrenceville, Ga., is one such user. The 18-year-old college student and karate instructor uses MSN Mobile daily and carries his digital phone everywhere.
“Trying to hang out with my friends before getting ready to go to college and working full time has made my life a lot more hectic,”
Blount said.
“MSN Mobile has definitely helped me stay on task. I set reminders for myself so no matter where I am I don’t have to worry about forgetting to teach a class or pick up my younger brother.”
MSN Mobile one-way notifications deliver news, sports, weather, stock quotes, horoscopes, personal alerts and lottery information as selected by the user, along with integration with MSN Messenger Service to enable receipt of instant messages. MSN Mobile 3.0 not only provides users with notifications, but also offers customizable, interactive access to MSN services – such as the MSN Hotmail® Web-based e-mail service and the MoneyCentral™
online personal finance service – through Web-enabled mobile phones and handheld devices. New features offered by MSN Mobile 3.0 include these:
-
Event listing and ticket purchasing. Through Citysearch and ticketmaster.com, users can find information on local events and purchase tickets through their wireless device.
-
Full news stories. Complete news stories are available to consumers, not just headlines or summaries.
-
MSN Calendar. Users can access, update and keep track of their MSN Calendar from a range of devices.
-
Start menu customization. MSN Mobile users can personalize the order of their Start menus for optimal use, listing the things they care most about first.
MSN Mobile 3.0 is immediately available at no cost from http://mobile.msn.com/ (connect-time charges may apply), where users also can go to personalize the service according to their needs. Users of Web-enabled phones can also type
“msn”
into their phone and go directly to the MSN Mobile site to take advantage of the services and content. MSN Mobile 3.0 supports and integrates some of the most popular services on the Internet, including MSN Hotmail, the most popular Web-based e-mail service; Expedia.com; the No. 1-rated MSNBC.com news service; and now MSN Messenger, MSN Calendar and Citysearch localized content.
Device Support
MSN Mobile notification service is available on devices that accept text messaging, including pagers and mobile phones. MSN Mobile interactive service is widely accessible by Web-enabled mobile phones and other handheld devices, including Pocket PCs and other handheld devices.
About MSN
MSN is an integrated network of content and services that help consumers get more from the Web – any time, any place and from any device. MSN is the most popular destination on the Internet, attracting 201 million unique visitors worldwide during June, and is available in
33 markets in 17 languages – a broader global presence than any other portal. MSN Internet Access is the highly rated, fast and reliable way for consumers to get on the Web, now with
3 million subscribers. MSN delivers The Everyday Web™
experience by providing more than just the basics for new Internet users, with benefits for more advanced users looking for richer functionality. Best-of-breed services include MSN Hotmail, the world’s largest e-mail system, with more than 67 million active accounts; MSN Messenger Service, the fastest-growing instant messaging service, with more than 18 million users; MSN Search, the second most popular search service on the Web; MSN Mobile, the customizable wireless information service; the award-winning MSN MoneyCentral online personal finance service; MSN eShop, the one-stop online shopping resource; MSN custom Web sites, the easy way to share information on the Web; and many other widely used services that make MSN a leading innovator of Internet technologies. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software – any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, MSN, Hotmail, MoneyCentral and The Everyday Web are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Expedia.com is a registered trademark of Expedia Inc. in the United States and Canada.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
